The present invention relates to bicycles.
In particular, the present invention relates to bicycles in which the brakes are operated by hand levers through suitable Bowden cable systems.
With bicycles of this type, particularly racing bicycles, the brake levers are conventionally arranged at a location situated forwardly of the forwardmost portions of the U-shaped ends of the handlebar. Therefore, in order to operate the brake levers the hands of the operator must be located at these forwardmost parts of the handlebar.
However, depending upon the particular conditions under which the bicycle is operated, the hands of the operator may not conveniently be located at these forwardmost parts of the U-shaped ends of the handlebar in order to operate the brake levers. On certain types of terrain and when operating at certain speeds the operator will feel far safer and far more secure if he situates his hands at the intermediate straight, horizontal portion of the handlebar which extends between the U-shaped ends thereof. However, when the hands of the operator are located on this intermediate straight horizontal portion of the handlebar they are situated too far from the brake levers so that these levers cannot be conveniently operated at this time. Of course, the operator can shift his hands along the handlebar in order to reach the brake levers, but under operating conditions where it is more comfortable for the operator to locate his hands on the intermediate horizontal portion of the handlebar a certain instability and dangerous condition may result if the operator shifts his hands in this way.